Growing up during the 50's and 60's was not only challenging for a "Negro" girl, but a whole lot of fun.

It was 1957, the night was clear and the moon was yellow. My mother, Miss Eileen, announced that we were moving to Edenwald Projects, a low income, public housing development in the Wakefield area of Bronx, NY.  We moved into the PJ in July, 1957. One of my fondest memories, upon moving to the relatively new development, was the friends my brothers and I met, immediately. Those initial friendships have lasted throughout the years; the Jackson's, Watkins', Harris', Simon's, Lewis', and a host of others. The area was still under development when we moved in, which meant there were no JHS 142, PS 111, Cardinal Spellman, Baychester Houses, Freedom Land, Co-op City, and the rest. There were woods, as far as the eye could see. Seton Falls was our Nirvana; **** Tracy Rock our think tank; and the filthy swamp, my favorite place to fall into; and I did so with such grace and frequency. The dinosaur tree was the cookout spot; burnt franks and half-cooked white potatoes.

I remember being an A student throughout elementary and JHS; I remember the special teachers who helped me to excel, Ms. Kantor, Ms. Plueo, Ms. Pratt, Mr. Gray, Ms. Covington, Ms. Burkley, Ms. Loveless (a treasure), Mr. Weiss; I remember the drunken brawls between my mother and step-father; I remember the day I began defending my mother when the fights erupted; I remember the embarr****ment when my step-father lost his mind and began throwing everything that was not nailed down out the **** window. I later discovered that this was an act to win his law-suit against Moore-McCormick Steam Ship lines for which he worked and suffered a back injury, which evidently went to his head and drove him crazy. I remember my brother, my friends, and I picking-up all the clothes, pots, pans, bikes, etc. from the gr**** behind 1175; I also remember the good side of this man, who was a genius. He introduced me to books, music, art, and other things of culture. I remember the books, The Rubiyat of Omar Khayam, The Complete Works of O' Henry and the Bard, I Speak of Freedom, Caged Bird, Go Tell it on the Mountain, I Wonder as I Wander, etc. I remember the conversations, political, religious, humorous, educational; I remember being called Skinny Minny and Olive Oyl; I remember learning to smoke cigarettes behind the A & P at age 12 with Yvonne, Retta and Marge; I remember following my brother Richard around like I was his personal shadow (this made him so mad); I remember drinking wine with Kool-Aid mixed in; I remember the parties with the red, blue, and green lights; we called them sweat-boxes. I remember the grind and being groped by nasty boys; I remember stealing beer from the Italian grocery store on 224^th Street and going to Seton Falls, with a bunch of other ne'er do wells, to enjoy our ill gotten gain; I remember Orchard Beach and Robitussin; I remember pleated and wrap-around skirts worn with pin stripe shirts and all-American sweaters, I remember Fred Braun Shoe Store in the Village and Clarks' shoes, I remember giving-up my virginity so that the boy I liked would like me; I remember the Community Center dances; 

I remember the girl scouts, Troop 147, and Mrs. Jowers, I remember being arrested as a juvenile, along with several of my girl friends and one stupid boy; we supposedly jumped somebody; I remember writing absentee notes for friends who had played hooky; I remember listening to Red Foxx and Moms Mabley at "Retta" and "Vonnie's" house when Ms. Isabelle was at work; I remember going to the "big park" or Sousa to watch the guys play basketball, not so much for the sport itself, but for the possibility of seeing those young men reaching for the top, one of whom, Ollie Taylor, made it to the pros; I remember Loretta Glover a talented singer and actress, who I thought had the potential to be a star; I remember feeling bad when people were teased by the messed-up kids; I remember those creeps from Washington Avenue; I remember being jumped by a girl from Washington Avenue because I did not want to "go with ugly Stanley"; I remember Ms. Isabelle calling the girl's mother and telling her that the girl "better not ever bring her **** back to Edenwald". I remember being saddled with my younger brother Guy; I remember dropping him off the fence in the "big park". That cat busted-up his lip real good, and the sad part was, he still wanted me to take him out to play; I remember Yvonne and I attending Evander Childs and thinking the world was our oyster; I remember BJ Pratt buying wine for us every Friday morning, which we drank on the way to school; I remember the BOYS, BOYS, BOYS; I remember thinking that my relationship with Yvonne would change when she became pregnant with her first child during our Sophomore year in Evander; and although our paths took a different course, we remain friends to this day; I remember the turbulent ‘60's and the winds of change; my best friend Yvonne's mother attending the March on Washington; "Bull" Connor giving instructions to turn the dogs and fire hoses on my people; the ********inations of my heroes Malcolm and Martin; the revolutionaries, Angela Davis, Joanne Chesimard, Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, Stokeley Carmichael, etc.; I remember smoking my first "joint" at age 16 and sniffing my first "blow of dope at age 20"; I remember me and Marge coming home drunk early one Sunday morning, and that **** James Simon wanting to do something stupid, as always. So I challenged him to steal all the milk that had just been delivered to the tenants of 1175; you know the rest of the story. I remember some of the sweetest boys, Barry, Ronald, Dwight, Mark, Butch H, Butch L,  "Sweety" C., Noble S, Douglas J, Isidro G, James B, Jerry G; some of whom were boyfriends of the romantic type, and some were just good friends. I remember all my girls, Yvonne, Retta, Marge, Darilyn, Pat B, Corinne W, Doris H, Gail B, Maria G, Pauline T, Leona L, Arnetha B, Denise and Michelle J, and Gail G; I remember the parents who helped raise the village; I remember my mother gathering the strength to end the abusive relationship between she and my step-father and struggling as a single parent to raise three kids, and doing her best; and I remember the peers who thought they were better than everyone else, who looked down on everyone outside their circle, and I thank them for their disdain and indifference, I thank them for their bourgeoisie attitude because they taught me to treat  people with respect and kindness, they taught me to accept and embrace all people, from all walks of life. The lesson I learned from them has led me to a career in the Human Service field. I am a program director, credentialed by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services to practice counseling, to offer hope to the hopeless, to help the lost find their way back, to feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless and to love mankind, no matter their situation. I have two children, Janeen and Craig; and three beautiful grandchildren, Craig, Jr. (8), Khalyl, (4) and Nariah (5 months).    That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!!!!!!